Rigid, hinged-lid packets of cigarettes are currently the most widely marketed, by being easy to produce, easy and practical to use, and by effectively protecting the cigarettes inside.
In addition, rigid, slide-open packets of cigarettes have been proposed, comprising two containers, one inserted inside and partly extractable from the other. More specifically, a rigid, slide-open packet of cigarettes comprises an inner container containing a foil-wrapped group of cigarettes, and which is housed inside an outer container to slide, with respect to the outer container, between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is extracted from the outer container. The inner container may either slide straight out of the outer container or swing out about a hinge connecting the two containers.
A number of embodiments of rigid, straight slide-open packets of cigarettes are described in GB2466204A, FR2499947A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,534,463A1, 5,080,227A1 and IT1169163B; and one embodiment of a rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes is described in WO2006021581A1.
Some packets of cigarettes contain coupons comprising either a single or folded sheet printed with advertising matter or pictures.
In a rigid, slide-open packet, the coupon is normally inserted between the outer container and a transparent plastic overwrap. This embodiment has the advantage of the coupon being removable immediately, when the packet is unsealed, but also the disadvantage of the coupon being visible on the sealed packet (whereas, in some cases, it is preferable that the coupon only be visible when the packet is opened). More importantly, the position of the coupon with respect to the packet is unstable, thus spoiling the look of the finished packet. That is, until the transparent overwrap is applied about the packet of cigarettes and the coupon to hold the coupon in place, the coupon tends to slip randomly from the position into which it is fed onto the packet, as the packet travels along the packing line.
One proposed solution to the problem is to supply the coupon together with the transparent overwrap, but this poses serious construction design problems by having to supply two different materials together and in a precise position with respect to each other.
Another proposed solution is to glue the coupon to the packet, but this has the drawback of having to subsequently tear a portion of the coupon off the packet, thus spoiling the look of the coupon and/or packet itself.
Patent application WO2009/101120A1 discloses a cigarette packing machine for producing a rigid packet with a hinged lid; the packing machine has a first packing unit which folds a first blank about a group of cigarettes to form an outer container with a hinged lid; and a second packing unit which folds a second blank about the outer container to form a tubular slide surrounding the outer container to slide axially with respect to the outer container.